Blues City: A Walk in Oakland [Hardcover]

 

 

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While reading Mr. Reed's words, I was reminded why my husband and I keep choosing Oakland as our home, despite our overburndened and poorly run Oakland Unified School District and long work commutes to San Francisco and beyond. Reed reminds us that this city steeped in natural beauty stands alone as a gem--
shadowed with distinct architecture, a progressive appreciation of (and engagement with) diversity, and a long and current history of civil rights efforts.

I enjoyed Reed's references to San Francisco and Berkeley for context, but remind non-native readers that Oakland has its own distinct history and pulse. Oakland exists and thrives and is home to some of the most progressive and creative thinkers, students, artists and teachers I know. Is Oakland a Blues City or a cure from the blues of conformity, planned subdivisions and homogeneous communities? This is a good read, especially if you already find yourself lucky enough to live here.

That famous quote "There is no THERE there" was in reference to her childhood home, which had burned down. It didn't have anything to do with oakland itself.
Glad to see this book - looking forward to reading it.

"Blues City," which is a part of a series of books published by Crown that features prominent authors and their observations of several key locations around the United States, is written by Ishmael Reed ("Mumbo Jumbo," "Flight to Canada," etc.) about Oakland, California. Reed, known for his "writin' is fightin'" style of nonfiction (see his most recent collection of essays, "Another Day on the Front" [2003], for a taste of his pugilistic prose), is as calm as you will see him in "Blues City." A journal of sorts, Reed relates his experiences on various historical tours around Oakland as well as his attendance at scattered cultural festivals around the city. In the process, Reed portrays Oakland as an important site of multicultural achievement, as a city inhabited by whites, blacks, latinos, asians and gays who have contributed significantly to the economic and cultural development of the city. It is interesting to note that Reed does not dwell on Oakland's present-day reputation as a hotbed of crime. But he is not entirely apologetic about this city which he definitely loves. He cites how the founding of Oakland happened because East Coast whites stole land from the Peralta family who inhabited the land before them. He also talks about the drug epidemic that plagues the Oakland neighborhood he lives in. The most poignant sections of the book focus on David Hilliard, one-time chief of staff of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. Reed attends a tour of sites of historical importance to the Black Panthers. The Panthers had been highly influential regarding Oakland politics over the years, but their contributions have been neglected, forgotten or viewed as criminal disruptions (see Elaine Brown's "A Taste of Power" [1992] for a more detailed description of the Black Panthers' immersion into the political world of Oakland), and Hilliard's tour is filled with fond memories as well as darker ones. Reed's portrayal of Hilliard's disappointment, disgust and sadness with how the Panthers were destroyed as well as the kind of political movements that currently operate on the Left is well-balanced and poignant--never condescending or reverent. But if there is anything this book seems to be, above all else, it is a rant against current Democratic mayor Jerry Brown. Brown, according to Reed and others, has betrayed his campaign promises to the minority communities who supported them by gentrifying Oakland. In these instances, the Reed's punchy rhetorical style returns. For those such as I, this is classic Reed. But others might find that some of his more controversial statements have little to do with Oakland, and that the book lacks any sort of organizational system. This book is far from being a complete statement on Oakland, but it does not have to be--it is simply one man's perspective on the city.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Oakland gets a love song
Ishmael Reed, Oakland, CA's longtime resident, poet, novelist, essayist, and faculty member of UC Berkeley, pens a love song to the much maligned city across the bay from San... Read more

Published on Nov 26 2003 by Peggy Vincent

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
When I first found out that Ishmael Reed was writing a book about Oakland, I didn't know how to react. My first reaction was excitement. Read more

Published on Oct 31 2003 by materialgrl510

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